Riddick Sequel Filming; Plot and Cast Announced

Filming has begun on the third film in the Riddick series, dubbed simply Riddick. The movie reunites the star-director team of Vin Diesel and David Twohy, who brought us Pitch Black in 2000 and The Chronicles of Riddick in 2004, in a plot that is described as follows:

The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy.

So basically, it sounds like a mix of the first two films. Riddick, which Diesel and Twohy have declared will return to the R-rated, horror roots of Pitch Black (as opposed to the PG-13 sci fi of Chronicles), has been in development for two years now, reportedly encountering difficulties with financing. But everything appears to be on track now, with production underway.

Rounding out the cast are Karl Urban (who returns from Chronicles as Vaako), wrestler Dave Bautista, singer Keri Hilson, Bokeem Woodbine (Devil), Jordi Molla (Bad Boys II, Colombiana), Matt Nable (Killer Elite), Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), Conrad Pla (Immortals), Raoul Trujillo (Apocalypto) and Nolan Funk (Deadgirl, Bereavement). No release date has been set, but 2013 seems likely.